Selected Letters of Mao Zedong

It was edited by the Party Literature Research Office of the Central Committee of the CPC and published by the People's Publishing House in 1983. The book was also revised and reprinted in 2003. It contains 372 letters of Mao Zedong from 1920 to 1965, including 25 telegrams and 19 annotations in the nature and form of letters, including notes of about 400,000 words, most of which were printed from Mao's manuscripts provided by the Central Archives. The letters were kept in their original form, and only a few of them were revised for personal details and punctuation.

The Selected Letters of Mao Zedong were selected among more than 1,500 letters and about 200 telegrams and instructions of Mao Zedong in the nature and form of letters that had been collected. It mainly contains the letters with certain ideological and theoretical contents, discussing some important political principles, theoretical views and policies, as well as Party cultivation, ideological methods, working methods and study methods, reflecting Mao Zedong's revolutionary practical activities from one side and showing his interactions with comrades within the Party, friends outside the Party, relatives and old friends, which are quite rich in content. From 1920 to July 1937, 42 letters were selected; from July 1937 to September 1949, 135 letters were selected; after the founding of New China, 195 letters were included.

The letters included in the Selected Letters of Mao Zedong were generally written with certain intentions, reflecting Mao's lively and spontaneous style of writing more specifically than other articles. They are important historical documents for understanding Mao Zedong and getting to know him better. These writings shine with the light of Marxist truth, show the intellectual character and revolutionary appearance of Mao Zedong, and give people rich socio-historical knowledge, which are important teaching materials to enlighten people with Mao Zedong's thoughts and wisdom. It is of great significance for learning and studying the thought and life of Mao Zedong and deepening the understanding of the history of the CPC.